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| VBC Saturday Poster Session |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 1:00 PM–3:00 PM |
| Convention Center, Lower Level, Hall C |
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 145. Equivalence Class Formation and Attitudes Toward Neurodevelopmental Disabilities |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Basic Research |
| AMANDA N. CHASTAIN (University of Illinois Chicago / Oregon Institute of Technology), Mark R. Dixon (University of Illinois at Chicago), Grady McDonnell (University of Illinois, Chicago) |
| Discussant: Elisa Niccolai (Strabiliaba) |
| Abstract: Research in social categorization and equivalence has shown that the equivalence paradigm is an effective model for studying social stereotyping. Additionally, basic behavior analytic research has shown strong links between derived relational responding and the Implicit Association Test (IAT), with evidence suggesting that equivalence class reorganization can influence IAT outcomes in line with performance on tests for emergent relations. To date, this effect has not been evaluated with socially loaded stimuli. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate between the implicit association effect and outcomes on tests for emergent relations using stimuli related to neurodevelopmental disabilities. We asked forty English-speaking adults to complete an IAT to assess their baseline attitudes toward neurodevelopmental disabilities. Participants were then trained to relate three three-member equivalence classes using stereotype-consistent or stereotype-inconsistent stimuli. Following tests for emergent relations, participants completed the IAT again. Preliminary data support previous findings on the formation of equivalence classes between culturally opposing social categories and further strengthen the connection between IAT performance and emergent relations. This experiment highlights the link between implicit attitudes and equivalence test performance, with implications for understanding derived relational responding in the formation and maintenance of harmful stereotypes and guiding interventions to dismantle them. |
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| 146. Identifying the Functional Variables That Distinguish Pliance, Tracking, and Augmenting in Rule-Governed Behavior |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Theory |
| ADAM J HEUTLINGER (Salem State University), Kenneth W. Jacobs (Salem State University) |
| Discussant: Megan Harper (Marquette University) |
| Abstract: Understanding the precise mechanisms of rule-governed behavior is essential for both theoretical and clinical applications in behavior analysis. This poster investigates the defining features of pliance, tracking, and augmenting as three distinct forms of rule-governed behavior. Pliance is rule-following due to a history of social reinforcement, tracking is rule-following due to correspondence between a rule and the environment, and augmenting is rule-following due to a change in the value of consequences. Importantly, pliance, tracking, and augmenting are functional units of the listener, different from the verbal stimuli emitted by a speaker. The central focus of this research is to identify the characteristics of verbal stimuli that evoke these three forms of rule-governance. By examining the functional variables of rules, this investigation elucidates how different verbal cues lead individuals to engage in pliance, tracking, or augmenting. We delineate the verbal contextual cues that are most effective in occasioning each type of rule-governed behavior. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate that Relational Frame Theory (RFT) provides a robust framework for distinguishing pliance, tracking, and augmenting. RFT's emphasis on relational networks and contextual relevance enhances our understanding of how verbal stimuli influence behavior, offering valuable insights into the development of verbal behavioral interventions. |
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| 147. Effects of Mixed-Trial and Interspersed-Mixed-Trial Teaching on the Emergence of Bidirectional Naming |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Applied Research |
| GRACE SMITH (Western New England University), Cammarie Johnson (The New England Center for Children; Western New England University; Simmons University) |
| Discussant: Elisa Niccolai (Strabiliaba) |
| Abstract: Bidirectional naming, a developmental milestone, enables individuals to integrate speaker (e.g., tact) and listener behavior (e.g., auditory-visual conditional discrimination) without direct teaching of both operants, yet it is often delayed in children with autism (Horne & Lowe,1996; Miguel, 2016). Two discrete-trial teaching arrangements, mixed-trial and interspersed-mixed-trial, were compared in teaching efficiency and in subsequent emergent responding in a 15-year-old male with autism. Using a multiple-baseline-across- sets design, results demonstrated that the interspersed-mixed-trial arrangement was more efficient (i.e., fewer trials to criterion) in teaching tact and listener responses. Both trial arrangements produced emergent responses; however, more robust, criterion-level emergent listener behavior was shown after tact training compared to the lower-than-criterion emergent tacts after listener behavior training. This finding was replicated across two sets with each operant, one taught with mixed trials and the other with interspersed-mixed trials. Interobserver agreement and procedural integrity data were collected in at least 10% of teaching and 33% of probe sessions and the mean agreement was above 92%. Although replication across more participants is needed, these findings suggest that interspersed tact and listener behavior trials may be more efficient than teaching each operant separately and can promote bidirectional naming. |
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| 148. Comparison of Instructive Feedback Presentation Schedules for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Applied Research |
| CHANDLER OLIVIA PEDERSON (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Mary Halbur (University of Nebraska Medical Center, Munroe-Meyer Institute), Alexandria Adams (University of Nebraska Medical Center, Munroe-Meyer Institute) |
| Discussant: Megan Harper (Marquette University) |
| Abstract: Within the limited time of a school day or therapeutic session, instructors must prioritize not only the effectiveness of their teaching but also its efficiency to maximize student learning (Konrad et al., 2011). For students with disabilities, efficient instruction is particularly crucial, as it can accelerate learning rates, enabling them to acquire more material and potentially bridge academic gaps with their peers (Skinner et al., 1995; Konrad, 2011). One way to achieve this is through Instructional Feedback (IF), a teaching method that integrates non-target stimuli into learning trials without direct reinforcement. Research has explored various aspects of instructional feedback. Nottingham et al. (2020) examined how different schedule presentations of the secondary target (IF statement) impact skill acquisition. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend Nottingham et al. (2020) by evaluating the efficacy and efficiency of various presentation schedules of secondary targets during discrete trial instruction with participants aged 2 to 6. The conditions included secondary targets presented on every trial, secondary targets presented on a variable schedule, and no secondary target presentation. We also assessed how IF influences other skill development through pre and post-tests of emergent skills (e.g., tact, listener-by-class, matching, intraverbal fill-in, intraverbal WH-questions). Ongoing results indicate the acquisition of primary targets and the emergence of secondary targets from IF presentation schedules. |
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| 149. Are Syllables Enough? Recombinative Generalization and Reading Comprehension in the Braille Alphabet |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Basic Research |
| DANIELA ROCHA-JURADO (Universidade de São Paulo), Rafael Diego Diego Modenesi (Universidade de São Paulo), Lais Santiago Decev (Universidade de São Paulo), Cíntia Ré Cuperino da Silva (Center for Autism and Social Inclusion of University of São Paulo), Talita Souza (Center for Autism and Social Inclusion of University of São Paulo), Arilza Landeiro Guimaraes Dalonso (Center for Autism and Social Inclusion of University of São Paulo), Martha Costa Hübner (Universidade de São Paulo) |
| Discussant: Elisa Niccolai (Strabiliaba) |
| Abstract: This research explores recombinative generalization and reading comprehension across two alphabets, and the cross-modal transfer of relations between visual and tactile alphabet modalities. Literate adults in the Latin alphabet (AC, CA, BC, CB) but unfamiliar with Braille alphabet passed through an experiment that assessed whether learning to match syllables in Latin alphabet to Braille syllables (C-D) would lead to recombinative generalization to achieve reading other syllables and reading comprehension. For these, four participants were thought to match 15 syllables grouped in sets of 5 syllables in Latin and in braille (C-D) in a Matching-to-sample training. Then, syllables recombination (C’-D’), transfer to tactile (C-E) and reading (D’’-B’’; D’’-A’’) were tested. The entire experiment was programmed, presented, and recorded using software written in MATLAB. Results showed that participants were able to match from a small set of taught syllables (15 syllables) a much larger set of recombined syllables (60 syllables), as well as to textually read words in braille (12 words) and then, match it to a figure correspondent to its meaning in Portuguese. This study concluded that establishing a relation between the syllables of two alphabets would lead to the emergence of equivalence relations as well as its transfer to other modalities. |
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| 150. Power Dynamics and Predation: The Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Harassment in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Applied Research |
| SHANNON ANGLEY (Children’s Specialized Hospital; Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services), Daniel R. Mitteer (Emory University), Casey Irwin Helvey (Rutgers University (RUCARES)), Andrew R. Craig (SUNY Upstate Medical University), Grace Sigwanz (University of Miami) |
| Discussant: Megan Harper (Marquette University) |
| Abstract: Sexual harassment encompasses any verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct that is unwanted or offensive to the recipient. These acts in the workplace may lead to collateral effects emotionally or physically and can greatly impact ones professional performance and growth (Smith et al., 2023). Currently there is no existing published research on the prevalence of sexual harassment in Behavior Analysis. This study uses a survey based on the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire- Workplace (SEQW; Fitzgerald et al., 1995) to gather initial prevalence data from behavior analysts. Some questions refer to the setting, victim and perpetrator roles, and its negative impacts. Over 300 professionals responded and suggest concerning implications. Promisingly, only 3% of the sample reported experiencing sexual coercion in the workplace. However, approximately half of participants reported hearing sexually explicit stories and experiencing offensive gender/sexist remarks at least occasionally and over 40% indicated experiencing stares at intimate body parts or unwanted sexual attention at least occasionally. When harassment was reported, perpetrators tended to be male, in a coworker role, and at a clinic or center, and victims tended to be in training or junior roles (RBT, BCaBA). We will provide information on preventing and responding to sexual harassment in behavior analytic workplaces. |
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| 151. Esports! Using Behavior Analytic Exercises Based on Acceptance & Commitment Therapy to Improve Player Communication |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Service Delivery |
| SAVANNAH WILSON (Florida Institute of Technology), James Arnold Riswick-Estelle (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Discussant: Elisa Niccolai (Strabiliaba) |
| Abstract: This intervention entailed creating behavior analytic exercises based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) hexaflex: present moment, defusion, values, committed actions, acceptance, and self as context with the Florida Tech Rocket League team (esports). Graduate level performance technicians (behavior technicians) and performance coach (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) defined and measured rates of essential and inessential in- and out-of-game communication for players, as opposed to self-report of emotions and mentalisms more commonly seen in ACT literature. For each behavior analytic ACT exercise, each player was required to produce a permanent product. Players were frequently and informally asked about their experiences for social validity; this is the only instance of self-report data. The behavioral performance coaching team is actively conducting ACT exercises; current verbal behavior data collection shows clinically significant improvement with decreasing average rates of inessential communication and increasing average rates of essential communication. These findings are socially significant because, historically, esports teams have a reputation of being emotional, variable, volatile, and toxic. These results have shown stability and improvements in communication, and a general improvement in team functioning as seen through reports of team-based communication, comradery, and improved moods. |
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| 152. Just Rules Are Not Enough: Teaching Decision-Making Skills to Behavior Analysts |
| Area: VBC; Domain: Service Delivery |
| ELIZABETH PARTHUM (Mount Saint Mary's University), Kwadwo O. Britwum (Mount Saint Mary's University), David J. Cox (Endicott College; Mosaic Pediatric Therapy) |
| Discussant: Megan Harper (Marquette University) |
| Abstract: The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) published the ethics code to guide the conduct of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). However, interpretation of the code is sometimes challenging and often not taught. This study determined the practicability of teaching new BCBAs to solve ethical conflicts related to practice using the problem-solving process published in the ethics code. A multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used to evaluate the effects of a Behavior Skills Training (BST) intervention to teach the problem-solving behavior. First, participants were presented with scenarios describing an ethical conflict they might encounter in practice. In response, participants described vocally the course of action they would take to resolve the conflict and its solution. Next, in the pretraining phase, participants were provided written instructions in the form of a problem-solving task analysis (PSTA) and a rationale for each step of the PSTA to assist in resolving the conflict. In the training phase, BST was employed to teach participants to use the PSTA. Finally, participants solved novel scenarios in procedures identical to the baseline. Participants were scored on their accurate and independent use of the PSTA, choice of ethical response (descriptive ethics), and the rationale used to justify choice response (normative ethics). |
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